Wilson-Saah Internship Placement

Wilson-Saah Summer Internship Placements for Howard U Graduate Students Studying Social Sciences

Annually Don Wilson and Chris Saah place interns at Catholic Charities in programs where graduate students work with CC DC staff to alleviate and prevent homelessness. Last year we honored them at Caritas! for their commitment and innovative approach.

Since the summer of 2018, Don Wilson and Chris Saah have sponsored summer interns to work with Catholic Charities case managers to ameliorate homelessness in our community.  In late 2017, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Saah learned from Fr John about the role that case managers play in moving people from precarious housing situations along the path to secure, stable housing.

 

Beginning in the summer of 2018, they collaborated with Catholic Charities and Howard University School of Clinical Psychology to recruit graduate students each summer to work for 10 weeks to assist Catholic Charities’ case managers in the Housing Department and the Family Parish and Community Outreach Department. Over the years since, the Wilson- Saah Interns have assisted case managers to move dozens of people through the process of moving from homelessness to stable housing.

 

The Wilson-Saah Interns are consistently dedicated, interested in the work, and collaborative with the staff. Many students have served 2 summers and have provided some continuity when staffing has been in transition. The students report that their summer internship experiences have influenced their studies by helping them to develop nuanced understanding of social policies, how they are implemented, and the impact on the people they are designed to serve.

 

Impact of the volunteer:

The Wilson-Saah Interns:

  • Work with social service professionals in a fast pace environment
  • Learn how housing policy is implemented and affects the people involved
  • Gain experience working with people with a variety of characteristics and needs
  • Receive mentorship from Don Wilson and Chris Saah
  • Receive a stipend from Catholic Charities which is funded by Wilson and Saah
  • Participate in Catholic Charities summer internship cohort

Catholic Charities Program Served:

Wilson-Saah Internship Placements are typically in Catholic Charities’

  • FSRP, Rapid-Rehousing Montgomery County, Mt. Carmel House; Dorothy Day Place
  • Montgomery County Family Center Social Services
  • Welcome Home Reentry Program

 

Duties & Responsibilities:

 

Examples of activities interns may do are:

  • Assist the program staff to collect and organize information for clients, such as housing options, resources to obtain food
  • Assist clients to complete applications, access resources
  • Assist staff to update electronic documentation and records
  • Carry out the agreed upon special project(s) agreed to by the intern and the staff
  • Interact with clients
  • Research, compile, and prepare resources for dissemination using program mailing list.  
  • Organize New Client Orientation and Life Skills Training packets for delivery by Case Management team.  
  • Establish connections with community partners and District agencies who offer services that may benefit clients.  
  • Identify gaps in service delivery and propose workable solutions.  

 

Qualifications:

  • Graduate student, preferably earing a PhD at Howard U in a field related to social sciences or human services  
  • Experience and/or interest in working in homeless services. 
  • Ability to contribute to the team cohesion
  • Ability reliably produce high quality individual work
  • Ability to travel to and from program offices in Temple Hills, Maryland. 
  • Proficient in the use of computers, smart phones, email technology, and internet. 
  • Excellent verbal and written communication, organization, and interpersonal skills. 
  • Excellent interpersonal skills

 

Desired Skills, Experience & Characteristics:

  • Ability to analyze situations accurately, utilizing a variety of analytical techniques to make well-informed decisions. 
  • Knowledge of and interest in working with the homeless population  
  • Ability to work independently and take initiative, while collaborating with team members 

 

Volunteer Benefits:

  • Orientation to Catholic Charities on June 18, 2024 
  • Program onboarding and training will be provided by the supervisor and program management team.  
  • Supervision – Onsite and virtual; daily check-ins at initiation, will decrease to weekly as intern grows more familiar with duties. 
  • Training will be provided, and all program documents will be available to the intern 
  • Intern will receive a stipend funded by The Wilson-Saah Project of the Volunteer Engagement Office 

 

Support:

  • Orientation to Catholic Charities on June 18, 2024 
  • Program onboarding and training will be provided by the supervisor and program management team.  
  • Supervision – Onsite and virtual; daily check-ins at initiation, will decrease to weekly as intern grows more familiar with duties. 
  • Training will be provided, and all program documents will be available to the intern 
  • Intern will receive a stipend funded by The Wilson-Saah Project of the Volunteer Engagement Office 

 

Time Commitment:

  • Start Tuesday, May 28, 2024, and end Friday, August 9, 2024 
  • Schedule agreed in advance with placement supervisor 
    • 16-24 hours per week  
    • Monday-Friday 9am - 5pm 

 

Location:

  • Typically, internship placements require 1-2 days a week in the office
  • Hybrid option at the discretion of the program manager
  • Site locations are in DC and Wheaton and Temple Hills Maryland